Kohler - It was the typical buddy golf trip: a dozen avid players, most of them business executives from the New York City area, staying at The American Club and teeing it up at the Kohler Co.-owned courses.

There was bonding and camaraderie. A lot of laughs. And some pretty good golf played on four exceptional courses.

But there was one important distinction.

The buddies, in this case, were women.

In recent years, grow-the-game initiatives and the golf industry in general have reached out to women, who represent only about 23% of all golfers. Just last week, the historically all-male Augusta National Golf Club announced that it had admitted its first two female members.

However, the "buddy trip" - a group traveling to a destination for a golf-centric vacation - remains practically the exclusive domain of the male.

"The caddie we had (Saturday) at the Irish Course said he's worked here for 11 years and we're only the second or third group of women he's ever seen," said Deb Putzer, who works in finance in midtown Manhattan. "He said the only time he's seen women on the course is when they're part of a couple."

The group, led by LPGA professionals Leslie Andrews and Adrienne Wax, didn't set out to destroy stereotypes. They're just women who love the game and have the means to stay at high-end resorts.

"When we come to places like this or go to Ireland the people are like, 'How many women?' " Andrews said. "They don't know what to make of us. They're used to seeing big groups of guys."

Andrews and Wax, business partners who took up golf in their 30s, co-wrote a book titled "Even Par: How Golf Helps Women Gain the Upper Hand in Business." They have organized trips to Ireland and Pinehurst and are planning a future trip to either Scotland or Bandon Dunes.

Spouses and significant others are invited to join the group and occasionally do.

"Sometimes that's a good thing and sometimes it's not," Andrews said with a laugh.

The women on the Kohler trip ranged in age from early 40s to late 60s and many had handicaps in the middle teens.

"I love the game," said Michelle Smith, a member of The Wind Watch Golf & Country Club on Long Island and vice president of human resources for Barnes & Noble. "I like being in women's company; just that camaraderie among women.

"We're kind of evenly matched and you're always going to the same tees. It's simple things like that. It makes it a very enjoyable game."

While they are welcomed wherever they go, the groups led by Andrews and Wax are still viewed as something of a curiosity.

"We went to this one course at Dingle (Ireland) and the guy who actually owned the course caddied for us," Wax said. "He said, 'You're all better than our best women players here. We've never seen anything like this group.'

"They were so fascinated they got other members to come and caddie for us. We were like an attraction."

Courses and resorts are much more receptive to all-female groups than they once were, Andrews said.

"Really forward-thinking places are trying to accommodate women but it requires a change of behavior on so many different levels in the golf industry," she said. "The guys in the shop, the rangers, the guys who change the spikes - they're just not used to seeing women.

"And these are not average women. These are people who work on Wall Street and have very successful careers. They're not the little ladies like you're used to seeing. They're people who are used to service. They're people who are demanding.

"And it's interesting to watch the dynamic."

Wax said the golf industry had no choice but to be more inclusive because participation levels have declined.

"I think the economic downturn has forced golf clubs and courses, both public and private, to change their policies," she said. "They have become a lot more welcoming to everyone. They are looking for new business models and so they can't exclude women."

But stereotypes persist.

Women golfers are still viewed by many males as second-class citizens. They don't get preferred weekend morning tee times at private clubs, endure withering stares and crude remarks from men playing behind them and often are blamed for slow play when they're not at fault.

"I don't know why it's such a big thing for men: 'Oh, you're pairing me up with a woman?' " Putzer said. "Most women don't play slow. It's been ingrained in us to play quickly. We don't want to have that reputation."

Sue Blohm, an executive for a liquor distributor, said she chose not to join a private club because she couldn't get morning tee times on weekends. She plays in a league on public courses.

"There's not too many women-friendly country clubs," she said.

Putzer occasionally plays at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, N.Y. Last week, The Barclays, a FedEx Cup playoff event on the PGA Tour, was held on the Black Course at Bethpage.

"Sometimes I go there by myself and it's very intimidating," she said. "There's very few women who play Bethpage. To be with three guys, they look at you like, 'What are you doing here?' They make it more of an issue than it should be."

Andrews said there were never any problems at high-end resorts, and the members of her group raved about the facilities and courses in Kohler.

"This is a beautiful resort," Putzer said. "I've always wanted to come here. It's fabulous. It's living up to everything I thought it would be."

About Gary D'Amato

Gary D'Amato covers golf and the Olympic Games and writes about a variety of other sports. He has won numerous writing awards from the Golf Writers Association of America, the Associated Press Sports Editors and the Milwaukee Press Club.